Chapter 8
Maeve woke in the early hours of the morning wondering for a minute or two where she was. It didn’t feel like her couch; hers wasn’t as comfortable. Of course, as she looked over her shoulder, she decided hers didn’t normally have a man on it either.
Oh my god! I can’t believe he let me fall asleep here. I’m such a harlot.
She almost laughed out loud but feared she’d wake him up. It was completely dark outside and there was no way to tell what time it was.
Maybe I could just enjoy this for a little while longer.
Maeve snuggled in a little closer to his chest. Cole never woke but shifted closer and wrapped his arm tighter around her waist. She couldn’t remember when they’d both converted to lying down.
It didn’t matter now but she remembered seeing a clock on his DVD player, however in her current position, it was out of sight.
Her free hand rested atop his chest where she could feel his steady heartbeat and apparently that was all the comfort she needed.
The next time she opened her eyes it was to the sound of the morning news playing on the television and fresh coffee in the air.
How did he get off the couch without waking me?
“Good morning beautiful.” Cole slipped in beside her as she sat upright, pushing the blanket away from her legs, taking the mug of coffee he offered.
“Morning;” she didn’t see herself as one of those chipper happy-to-be-awake morning people, but she liked waking up to his smiling face. Something she definitely could, but probably shouldn’t want to get used to.
“What time is it?” She felt all out of sorts with no clock, at least not one she could get her eyes to focus on, but the sun was up at least.
“It’s pretty early yet, 6:45.” She felt her face go sour.
“I know, I can’t help it. Something of an internal alarm clock, I guess. Drives me crazy but I can’t seem to sleep much past 6:30. Did you want some breakfast?”
“Oh no, thanks. It normally takes me a while to get myself awake so I hold off on food but the coffee tastes great, thank you.”
“My pleasure; I’m guessing Mr. Howard will be calling you pretty shortly. I think he’s an early riser as well.”
“Good thing I charged my phone last night then; thanks for that too. Seems as if I’m at your mercy.”
“Nah…just doing what friends do…we are friends right?”
Maeve didn’t get a chance to answer that question as her cell phone blared out a loud ring-tone version of Hey Soul Sister. She assumed that would be the fire inspector.
“Hello Mr. Howard, yes this is Maeve Woods. What can I do for you?” Ugh…way to act dumb, you already know why he’s calling.
Cole came to stand right in front of her which was more of a distraction than anything because he smelled wonderful. She could tell where the ends of his cropped hair still looked a little wet. If his hair were a little longer, she wondered if it would curl on his neck.
“Maeve!” Cole was whispering loudly. Dang daydreams.
“Yes Mr. Howard, I’m sorry…yes I’m here. What do you need me to do?”
“Wow this guy is uptight and impatient” Maeve whispered to Cole with her hand cupped over the receiver. “Will you talk to him for me?” She gave her saddest puppy dog face in order to convince him.
“Oh, good god, give me the phone.” He smiled and he grabbed it out of her hand.
“Mr. Howard this is Cole Abbott from the Brystal Bay 109, right across the street from The Sand Bucket. I’ll be bringing Maeve over today so just let us know what time is best for you.”
Cole talked to the man for another minute about some things Maeve needed to bring with her just for proof of ownership but then they’d meet before lunch.
“I’ll walk you home so you can get your things.”
“Thanks Cole. It means a lot that you’re doing this with me. I know Chloe wanted to be there, but she’s always been more of a silent partner when it comes to the legalities anyway. I’d like to take a quick shower once I’m home if you don’t mind waiting a bit.”
“Not at all, as long as I can raid your frig. I’m starving.”
***
Cole locked his apartment, and they made the two-block walk to Maeve’s lower-level duplex.
“Great place!”
“Thanks, kitchen’s over there” Maeve motioned as she passed a doorway headed for the bathroom.
“I’ll be back out in ten or fifteen minutes. Help yourself to whatever you find.”
Maeve’s refrigerator was a smorgasbord of food.
He could die a happy man if he could eat in her house every meal but that’s a thought he’d save for another day.
He found some cold cuts, grabbed the mayo and a bag of onion buns.
He’d make two just in case Maeve was hungry.
She hadn’t eaten either and there wouldn’t be any time til after their meeting and who knew how long that would last.
Maeve emerged from her room looking refreshed and he was sure she got more beautiful each time he saw her. He’d wrapped both sandwiches in napkins so they could eat while they walked, and he stuffed a water bottle in the pocket of his shorts.
“Gosh, you’ve thought of everything. This sandwich is good, you found all this in my frig?”
“Well, the buns were on top of the microwave but yeah the meat was in the bottom drawer.”
“Two meals in less than twenty-four hours, how do I rate? I’m gonna have to keep you around awhile I think.” She made light of the comment but that’s exactly how he liked her to think.
“Pretty sure we could arrange that if you wanted. I enjoy spending time with you, even if we have weirdos hitting on you and picking fights with me or fires while we’re walking on the beach. Definitely nothing I can’t handle.”
She had a smile across her face that just about made him go through himself. She looked good happy.
“My firefighter to the rescue huh?”
“I’m all yours baby.” Cole reached for her hand as they rounded the corner on Main Street, the home stretch to The Sand Bucket where they could see Mr. Howard waiting ever-so-impatiently outside.
Maeve’s hand tightened, unconsciously he was sure, but he gave her hand a squeeze to reassure her he wasn’t going anywhere.
“Relax, I’m right here.” He placed a soft peck on her cheek.
As they came close, Cole released her hand to shake with Mr. Howard.
“Hello sir. I’m Cole and this is Maeve,” gesturing beside him.
“Tom said good things about you Cole, nice to put a name with a face. Maeve.” He only nodded in her direction.
“Let’s get started. If you could just stay behind me and don’t touch anything, you’ll make my life a lot easier.” He could tell the man was uncomfortable around women and it made him that much happier he’d accompanied Maeve.
Three and a half hours and a very boring synopsis of the entire fire later, they were finally done and said goodbye to the inspector.
“Wow was that really all necessary? I lost interest more than once; his monotone voice was about to kill me. I don’t think I could ever be a fire inspector. I’m real glad Chloe couldn’t meet us today; she would have hated it.”
“Yeah, I was right there with ya…his sense of humor is nil. If I hadn’t already known what all his jargon meant, I might have bailed.”
“So can I ask you a question Cole?” He noticed that she had seemed a little more uneasy as the inspection came to a close.
“Sure, shoot.”
“Do you really think somebody did this to me out of spite?”
He’d expected that question from her. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what he’d been thinking since last night. Things just didn’t add up and it all looked too easy. He might have to do some inspecting on his own later. He didn’t really want her to know that though.
“Well…” he hesitated a few seconds too long.
“Please be honest with me, this really has me freaked out.”
“I know it does and I’m sorry about that. I promise I won’t let anything happen to you Maeve. The truth sucks but yes, I do think this fire was done on purpose, I just haven’t figured out what that purpose is yet.”
“Sounds like a ‘but’ there?”
“Did anyone ever tell you you’re too observant?”
“Yep, many times, now spill. What are you up to?”
Cole could only laugh. Looks like anything that he did from here on out, he’d have a partner in crime. Apparently, she had no intention of letting him go off on his own to figure anything out.
“No sense in hiding anything from you huh? Okay, I thought maybe I’d just do a little investigating on my own. Now before you even ask, I’d rather you not come with me when I do but I’m afraid you aren’t going to give me that option, are you?”
“Nope. So, since this is your day off and I obviously don’t have to work, do you want to splash around on the beach awhile, maybe make our way down to the Driftwood Inn? We can talk more about how we’re going to look for more clues or whatever you had in mind and get some dinner?”
“Partner, I like the way you think.”